In brief
Canada has 3 recorded AI policy instruments, none of them binding. Instruments on record: Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2017, strategy, adopted); Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (2022, bill, archived); Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems (2023, guidance, guidance).
- Type
- Country
- Region
- Americas
- Binding instruments
- 0
- In force
- 0
- Verification
- Verified against the official source 26 Sep 2026
Overview
The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy is Canada's national AI strategy, first funded in Budget 2017 with $125 million and delivered largely through CIFAR and three national AI institutes. The Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) was proposed as Part 3 of Bill C-27 and would have required organisations designing, developing or deploying high-impact AI systems to assess and mitigate risks of harm and bias, keep records and publish information, with enforcement by an AI and Data Commissioner and penalties for serious offences. This voluntary code asks Canadian developers and managers of advanced generative AI systems to commit to measures under six principles: accountability, safety, fairness and equity, transparency, human oversight and monitoring, and validity and robustness.
What is the current regulatory status?
Instruments on record: Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2017, strategy, adopted); Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (2022, bill, archived); Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems (2023, guidance, guidance). Each is linked to its official source; human verification pending.
Binding rules versus guidance
Binding: none recorded. Strategy or guidance: Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems.
Key policy instruments
Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (Part 3 of Bill C-27, Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022)
The Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) was proposed as Part 3 of Bill C-27 and would have required organisations designing, developing or deploying high-impact AI systems to assess and mitigate risks of harm and bias, keep records and publish information, with enforcement by an AI and Data Commissioner and penalties for serious offences. The bill passed second reading in the House of Commons in April 2023 and was studied in committee through 2024 but never advanced to report stage. It lapsed when the 44th Parliament ended in early 2025 without the bill being passed.
Adopted 16 Jun 2022
Verified against the official source 26 Sep 2026 · reviewed by AI Policy Tracker (a factual check against the official source, not a legal review or legal advice)
Official source
Canada
·
National strategy
Adopted
The Pan-Canadian AI Strategy is Canada's national AI strategy, first funded in Budget 2017 with $125 million and delivered largely through CIFAR and three national AI institutes. A second phase from 2021 added funding for commercialisation, standards and computing capacity, with further support in the 2024 Fall Economic Statement. It focuses on attracting and retaining researchers, translating research into industry adoption and promoting responsible AI.
Adopted 22 Mar 2017
Verified against the official source 26 Sep 2026 · reviewed by AI Policy Tracker (a factual check against the official source, not a legal review or legal advice)
Official source
Canada
·
Guidance
Guidance
This voluntary code asks Canadian developers and managers of advanced generative AI systems to commit to measures under six principles: accountability, safety, fairness and equity, transparency, human oversight and monitoring, and validity and robustness. Obligations are scaled according to whether a system is made available for general public use. It was introduced as a bridge while the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act was before Parliament, and lists around fifty signatory organisations.
Adopted 27 Sep 2023
Verified against the official source 26 Sep 2026 · reviewed by AI Policy Tracker (a factual check against the official source, not a legal review or legal advice)
Official source
Instruments at a glance
Native-language names are shown where the record carries one; a blank means the source is in English or the name is not yet recorded.
Upcoming deadlines
Subscribe to these dates in your calendar: Canada feed · how it works
No scheduled future dates recorded. Past milestones are listed on each policy page.
How to use this information
- Open the official source on each instrument before relying on any date or obligation.
- Treat strategies and guidance as signals of coming regulation, not as binding requirements.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Canada have an AI law?
- No binding AI law is recorded for Canada. The instruments recorded are non-binding: strategies, guidance or standards.
- What is the status of AI regulation in Canada?
- Instruments on record: Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2017, strategy, adopted); Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (2022, bill, archived); Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems (2023, guidance, guidance). Each is linked to its official source; human verification pending.
- Is there a national AI strategy in Canada?
- Yes: Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy (2017).
- What is binding and what is only guidance in Canada?
- Binding: none recorded. Strategy or guidance: Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Artificial Intelligence and Data Act, Voluntary Code of Conduct on the Responsible Development and Management of Advanced Generative AI Systems.
Informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult qualified counsel before acting.
